


Fallout

by Dazzledfirestar



Category: Marvel 616, Secret Avengers
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Secret Avengers #2 compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2018-01-18 23:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1446952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzledfirestar/pseuds/Dazzledfirestar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When given a last chance to say something, you say it. When it turns out not to be that last chance after all... well, then it gets trickier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fallout

The car—a fucking car that was space worthy—touched down on the deck of the helicarrier and before Nick could really process that they weren’t dead they were swarmed by med staff. He didn’t hear anything that bad in the babble around him; slight oxygen deprivation, cuts, bruises from the fight with the Fury. Nothing that required being dragged to medical, but that’s where he found himself.

Too bad they left him alone for too long and gave him time to think. If he thought too hard about it all, he wouldn’t be able to slip back into their usual routine after tough missions. He wouldn’t be able to crack a joke and just let it all slide if he looked too closely at it.

_It sort of changes your perspective doesn’t it?_

Nick took a deep breath. The nurse had told him too. Said he’d feel better once he got the usual levels of oxygen in his head.

_I prefer being talked to death by Phil Coulson._

Nick rubbed his hands over his face and almost laughed at the memory. Barely an hour old but it felt like a lifetime.

_Nick Fury, you look **good** in that suit._

Phil wanted to go out laughing, he guessed. It made sense. Better than anger or just giving into it. Nick rolled the ideas Phil had thrown at him in that moment over in his head. And those last words…

_See you next time._

But there wasn’t a next time this time. Nick pushed himself up and walked out of the exam room, moving along the hall until he found the room Phil was in. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

They stared at each other for a minute. Suddenly finding the words wasn’t that easy without the immanent threat of death. Nick finally smiled. “Still think I look good in the suit?”

Phil smiled but he blushed to the tips of his ears. Nick couldn’t help but find it endearing. “Look… with the oxygen deprivation and the whole dying thing…” Phil rubbed at the back of his neck. “What I’m saying is you don’t have to say anything. It’s all forgotten.”

“No it’s not.”

“Nick… come on. You don’t have to pretend—“

“Who said fuck all about pretending?”

“What?”

Nick watched Phil’s eyes go wide. “Look, when they’re done going over everything that could be but isn’t wrong with us… maybe we should get a beer and… I don’t know, talk about all this.”

“All what?”

“All the shit we couldn’t even say to each other when we were fucking dying?”

As the silence in the room got thicker, Nick started to wonder if he’d read it all wrong and just made a complete ass out of himself. Phil sighed heavily and that was enough to confirm Nick’s suspicions for the whole two seconds it took for Phil to hop off the exam table and pull him into a kiss. He blinked a couple times as he pulled back. “I think we can skip the beers…”

“You got other plans?”

“Now I do.” Phil kissed him again, and Nick found it easier to kiss back without the sudden shock of the first time. “I should have actually said…”

“We’ll get there.” Nick rested his forehead against Phil’s.

“Think so?”

“Know so.” Nick leaned in and pressed another kiss to his lips, slowly deepening it until he teased a soft moan from Phil. He could definitely get used to that sound and he promptly attempted to get Phil to make it again. He laughed when they finally broke apart, flushed, breathless and smiling. “Why didn’t we do this a long time ago?”

“You know why.” Phil shook his head. “And every other time we almost died together we had other shit to focus on.” He chuckled softly. “That doesn’t really explain all the times we could have done this without the dying part.”

“We’re idiots.” Nick smiled and leaned in again only to stop as the sound of someone clearing their throat near the door drew both of their attention there.

“Gentlemen.” The doctor who had tended him, and clearly Phil too, earlier was looking at them over the top of her glasses. It reminded him sharply of a seventh grade math teacher he’d had. “There’s nothing wrong with either of you that a few days rest won’t solve.”

“So we’re free to go?”

“You’re on leave until Monday.” Her glasses tipped down a little further. “And I do mean rest.”

Her implication was clear and Phil’s blush became visible from space. Not that Nick wanted to check to make sure. He’d had quite enough of space for the time being. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good. Then get going.” She turned on her heel and left and the room seemed to fill back up with air.

“She’s a treasure.” Phil laughed and tentatively reached out for Nick’s hand, slowly lacing their fingers together as if he expected Nick to pull away. “So…”

“So, dinner first.”

“So classy.”

“Only the best for you.” Nick leaned in, kissing him softly. “Then, we’re gonna follow the doctor’s orders.”

Phil chuckled. “Plenty of bed rest?”

Nick smirked. He couldn’t help himself. They’d earned this and after all the time he’d spent telling himself it was all just platonic; that Phil wouldn’t be interested, he planned on making the most of it. “Something like that.”

They were in the elevator, heading up to the deck where they kept the flying cars when Phil spoke again. “Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“That thing we’re not saying yet?”

Nick looked him in the eye and smiled just a bit. “Yeah?”

“I do, you know. I mean…” He was blushing again, as if somehow actually saying it—or getting a damn lot closer to actually saying it—was going to jinx everything or break the spell that had gotten them that far already.

Nick squeezed his hand and leaned in to kiss his temple. “Yeah, Cheese. I know. I do too.”

Phil’s smile crossed his face slowly as he shook his head. “You’re right. We are idiots.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?”

“Nope. Not a chance.”


End file.
